Love Will Find a Way
by juvias
Summary: Seeing Cana again after being away from her for a year made Lucy realize how she truly felt about her. {Rate T}
1. Crush

**A/N:** Hello! I was really excited after I published my Gruvia fanfic, that I just had to start working on this! I really like the idea of Lucy and Cana being together, so this has been really fun planning. I can't wait to write more chapters and develop this story a bunch! I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to tell me what you think! Cover image is by atlasflames on tumblr.

Chapter 1 — Crush

* * *

Ever since Fairy Tail had been revived, Lucy was incredibly happy to be back home. The year in which she was away from the guild was one of the most empty years of her life, but she's glad she tried to make the most of it. She tried not to think about that year, though, because now everyone was together again and everything was okay. Well... almost everything.

After seeing Cana again, Lucy started feeling different. Every time Cana would walk into the room, she would get a strange feeling in her stomach. It was a good feeling, but she couldn't explain why she felt it. For some reason, seeing Cana after a year made Lucy realize just how much she missed her. She missed the jokes she'd crack, the little smirk she'd get when she was amused, and her laugh. The blonde tried to think about why she could possibly feel this way towards Cana—she was her friend, no doubt, but she just couldn't exactly label these feelings.

Lucy's thoughts began to wander off as she thought more about the things she liked about Cana. Her body had an extremely nice figure, but the structure of her face was also a good quality of hers. And her nose, wow her nose. Everything about her was amazing.

Lucy sighed blissfully and closed her eyes as a small blush appeared across her cheeks. Her face rested in her hands while her elbows were placed on the table she was sitting at. Moments passed until she was just staring at the wall with a blank expression on her face, still thinking about Cana.

"Lu-chan?"

Snapping out of her trance, she looked up to see Levy gazing at her worriedly. "Y-yes, Levy?" she responded nervously, sitting up straight.

"Is everything alright, Lu-chan? You've been acting strange lately," Levy claimed.

Lucy's eyes widened a bit in surprise before putting her hands up in surrender. "Yeah, I'm just fine, Levy! No need to worry."

Levy tilted her head in disbelief, but smiled a moment later. "Alright, then, Lu-chan," she said, "but remember, you can talk to about anything if you need to, okay?"

Lucy smiled widely and nodded. She was grateful for Levy's offer, but she didn't think she could talk to her about this. How could she talk to anyone about this? It was embarrassing. She didn't even know what these feelings meant. Did she like Cana as more than a friend? Lucy didn't think that it was possible for her to be interested in a girl. It was just unrealistic. There's no way Cana would ever like her back.

Lucy frowned at that thought; it felt painful to think like that. Cana was really the only person she'd felt these kinds of feelings for since coming to Fairy Tail. She tried having feelings for the men in the guild before, but found it quite difficult. Is this why she felt this way towards Cana? Because she didn't have any interest in the men here?

Lucy pondered what would happen if the guild found out. Would they be happy for her? Disgusted? Lucy groaned. She was asking herself a lot of questions today; her brain couldn't take anymore. However, the thought of Fairy Tail being disgusted with Lucy's feelings made her feel sick. The guild was her family, and if they didn't accept her, she would feel completely hopeless.

The blonde shut her eyes tight, shaking her head. These thoughts needed to go away. They just needed to.

 _I don't like Cana,_ Lucy thought to herself, _I don't like Cana._

She repeated these words in her head over and over. Maybe, eventually, her feelings will disappear completely. All Lucy could do now was wait for these feelings to pass. She sighed and leaned against the table once again, frowning.

"Hey, Lucy!"

Lucy sat up quickly, surprised by the voice she heard. It was Cana.

"Hey, what's wrong, Lucy? You look like you could use a drink."

Before Cana could say another word, Lucy quickly stood up and fled the guild, leaving a confused Cana standing there in the middle of the guild.

She couldn't let the feelings become stronger. She needed them to go away.

Once Lucy was back at her apartment, she shut the door and leaned her back against it, releasing a heavy sigh. Everything would be okay, she just needed to avoid Cana until the thoughts went away. They would, surely, go away soon. Or she at least she hoped they would.

* * *

Lucy decided to distract herself by taking a warm bath. Those always made her feel better. She sighed contently as she sank into the warm water. She hadn't done much that day, but she felt so exhausted somehow. Her mind was still racing with thoughts of Cana and Lucy found it extremely difficult to make them go away. After spending quite some time in the bath, she got out and dressed herself in her night wear. The blonde ran to her bed, burying her face in her pillow once she was finally laying down. She tried to get the thoughts to go away, but the more she tried, the more she thought about Cana. How could one girl do this to her? It was bizarre.

Sooner or later, sleep began to take over Lucy. The feelings subsided for a few hours as she fell deep into slumber.

...

 _She was lying down in the grass, staring up at the sky. It was clear and blue; a beautiful sight. In the distance, she heard someone laugh. The sound made her stomach flutter. Lucy looked to her side and gazed at the figure beside her._

 _It was Cana._

 _They lay in the grass together with their hands entwined. It felt amazing to have Cana's hand wrapped around hers. Lucy laughed as well. She was unsure of why they were laughing, but being next to the brunette made her get all kinds of feelings. Cana had turned on her side, resting her head in her hand while her elbow was against the grass. It gave her a perfect view of Lucy, who was lying on her back. She smiled back at Cana, who reached out to brush a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her hand moved down slightly, resting itself on her cheek. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Lucy leaned up and joined their lips together—_

...

Lucy sat up quickly, gasping as she woke up. Her heart was racing and her cheeks and ears were cherry red. She breathed heavily for a few minutes, trying to regain a steady heart beat. After her breathing returned to normal, she lied back down and let out a deep sigh. She couldn't believe she had a dream about Cana—especially one that involved kissing. Lucy grabbed one of her pillows and begin lightly hitting herself with it.

She was determined to get these thoughts of Cana out of her head.

* * *

 **A/N:** I apologize if this is OOC… I've never been that good at writing fanfiction. Anyways, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Rejection

Chapter 2 — Rejection

* * *

The celestial spirit mage had been avoiding going to the guild for a while. She would occasionally come in to grab a job and go—after all, she still needed to pay the rent. A few other members had been suspicious of this, but none of them could figure out what was exactly troubling the blonde. As she rushed into the guild and hurried over to fetch a job, she was stopped by someone. Lucy stopped in her tracks to see Levy blocking the jobs board, her arms crossed. Her facial expression was a mix of disappointment and worry.

"Lu-chan," she said, "we need to talk."

"Uh..." Lucy said, flustered, "today really isn't a good day, Levy! Rent's due today and you know my landlady—"

"No," Levy interrupted, "you're going to tell me what's going on right now."

The blonde stared back at Levy nervously. She gulped and nodded, making her way over to an empty table so they could sit down and talk. Lucy sighed and looked down at the table, rather than at the bluenette across from her.

"What's going on, Lu-chan?" Levy asked.

"I-It's nothing," Lucy stuttered anxiously.

Levy raised an eyebrow and shook her head in disbelief. "You don't fool me. I _know_ something's up."

"I'm sorry, Levy," Lucy frowned.

"It's fine," Levy replied, "just tell me what's wrong, Lu-chan. I'm really worried about you."

Lucy released a sigh. "I'm sorry to worry you," she said, "I've just been avoiding something."

The bluenette tilted her head, her eyes filling with curiosity. "Avoiding what?"

"It's complicated," Lucy replied anxiously, sighing again as she rested her head against the table.

"Lu-chan…" Levy whispered as she gazed at the other mage. The blonde could tell that Levy was extremely worried about her. After thinking for a few moments, she suddenly got an idea. "Wait, you aren't avoiding _something_ , you're avoiding _someone_. Correct?"

Lucy nodded, her head still laying on the table.

Levy looked towards the ceiling and placed a finger on her chin in wonder. "Who could you be avoiding?"

After a few moments of silence, Cana suddenly barged into the guild. She scanned the room quickly before her eyes appeared on the table where Lucy and Levy were seated. Noticing Lucy's state of distress, she made her way over to their table and sat next to Lucy.

"Yo, Lucy!" she exclaimed, placing an arm around her, "Where ya been? And why do you look so sad? I told ya you could use a drink!"

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. She shrieked and quickly stood from the bench as she began sprinting towards the door. Once she was finally outside and away from the guild, she slowed her pace before coming to a complete stop. The blonde breathed heavily, pulling off to the side of the road so she could rest for a moment. This probably meant that Levy found out who she was avoiding.

"Lu-chan!" Levy shouted as she caught up to Lucy. "What was that? Why did you totally freak out when you saw Cana…?"

The bluenette stopped talking as she saw a blush creep onto Lucy's cheeks. That wasn't just any blush, that was _the_ blush. Levy's eyes widened after realizing exactly why Lucy had been avoiding Cana. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Oh my gosh… Cana? You like Cana?"

Lucy looked at Levy for a moment and then looked towards the ground. She nodded nervously, expecting the worst. It wasn't until a few moments later that Levy enveloped her in a tight hug, jumping up and down in excitement.

"That's so cute, Lu-chan!" she giggled, continuing to bounce in place.

The blonde couldn't believe this. Levy was happy for her? Happy that she liked a girl? How could this be possible? Lucy was frozen in place as Levy continued to hug her tightly and jump up and down. "You really think so?" she asked the other girl, still worrying that Levy could suddenly change her mind.

"Of course! Why would you think I didn't?"

"Well... it's just, Cana's a girl and—"

"It doesn't matter if she's a girl, Lu-chan!" the bluenette interrupted, "What matters is that you're happy; and if you're happy, I'm happy."

Lucy smiled widely, tears of joy beginning to form on her waterline. "I… I'm really glad to hear that."

Levy released the blonde from her arms. "Did you really think I wouldn't like it?"

"Well, yeah…" Lucy replied, wiping the tears from her eyes before they could fall down her cheeks, "it just seems really weird, ya know. A girl and a girl. Dating. Kissing. Doing other things."

"Lu-chan, it's not weird at all," Levy assured her, "but why do you need to avoid Cana?"

"I-I just thought that if I avoided her, the feelings would go away. I started to think that Fairy Tail wouldn't really like the idea that I like a girl—especially since that girl is Cana. I thought they wouldn't accept me."

Levy frowned. "I'm sorry you think that, Lu-chan, but I'm sure they'll welcome this with open arms. Fairy Tail always does that."

Lucy sulked in disbelief. She really didn't think that Fairy Tail would accept this. How can someone accept her when she can't even accept herself? Whenever she read about two people of the same gender being together, it always turned out bad. The guild wouldn't accept her—they might even kick her out of Fairy Tail. After a year of being away from her family, her home, they would make her go away because of her feelings. They couldn't do this to her. The blonde felt tears beginning to form again. She reached up to wipe them away, but they kept coming. "No, you know what?" she sobbed, "Just forget about this. I'll get over these feelings. It's okay."

And with that, Lucy turned around and ran. She heard Levy shout something, but she continued to run. She didn't know where she was going, she just needed to get away—get away from the judgement that she knew would come. Lucy continued to run until she couldn't anymore. Turning around, she noticed she was a long way from the guild. Levy had probably given up on chasing her and went back.

The blonde let out a sigh of relief, happy to be alone now. Levy couldn't be right about the guild accepting her. They would surely reject Lucy and make her leave. She began to think of what all of her friends would individually think. They would probably all be disgusted with her—especially Natsu, her best friend. Lucy continued to walk as tears fell down her cheeks. She sniffled a few times, reaching up to wipe a few tears away. They kept coming back, though.

She wanted to accept herself, but she just couldn't. So, she made a decision.

From now on, she was going to be in denial of her feelings. Eventually, they would go away; and once they fully went away, she wouldn't have to worry about being rejected by her family.

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor Lucy. :( I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I spent a lot of time writing it. Thank you for reading.


	3. Lies

Chapter 3 — Lies

* * *

Nightmares had filled Lucy's mind for a while as she tried to sleep. She would wake up in the middle of the night after dreaming of the guild leaving her, breathing heavily and sobbing. This continued for several days, until the blonde stopped sleeping altogether. She had sunken into a deep depression for a while. Nothing bad had happened yet, but Lucy continued to be paranoid that Fairy Tail would turn her away the instant they found out about her feelings.

During these times, however, she failed to think about how Cana might react. Lucy had never saw the brunette interested in anyone before—specifically, men. This could possibly mean that Cana might reciprocate her feelings. The thought of that made her sadness subside for a few moments. Lucy began to think about what it would be like to be with Cana. It might be hard to adjust to at first, but the blonde knew she would enjoy being in Cana's life—especially romantically.

Lucy touched her cheeks, which were turning a deep red. Every time she thought about Cana, she blushed intensely. How could one girl make her feel this way? This had never happened to her when she liked a boy. She had probably been going after boys her whole life because it had been seen as a requirement to her while she was growing up. She lived around the boys always falling for the girls and vice versa. Perhaps it wasn't so bad for her to like girls. There were a lot of people like that; there was most likely people just like her within the guild. She wondered who they could be.

Lucy continued to ponder the possibilities, but stopped after hearing a sudden noise. There were loud footsteps making their way to Lucy's apartment door. She got up and stared at the door, waiting anxiously to see who could be coming to her apartment at such a late hour. She glanced over at the clock to see how much time had passed since her thoughts consumed her. 3:17 AM. Lucy had never paid attention to the time since she started having trouble sleeping.

The blonde glanced at her reflection in the mirror that was placed in the room. Her eyes were red and puffy and had bags under them. She looked absolutely terrible.

The door suddenly flew open. "Lucy!" a voice shouted cheerfully. Lucy turned her gaze towards the person standing in her doorway.

It was Natsu.

Why was Natsu here? At three in the morning? She instantly felt fear. He was probably going to make her feel guilty for being away from the guild for so long—and probably make her tell him why she's been avoiding it, too.

Natsu stopped in his tracks and tilted his head in confusion once his eyes glanced upon Lucy. "Lucy, what's wrong? You look awful."

"Thanks," she said, faking a laugh.

The dragon slayer continued to stare at Lucy with a worried and confused gaze. "I'm serious," he spoke, "did something happen?"

Lucy looked towards the floor, already feeling tears form on her waterline. She shook her head.

Natsu looked at her in disbelief. She could tell he was worried about her; he didn't like seeing his best friend filled with so much distress and depression. He needed to do something about it.

"Please, tell me," he begged. "What's going on?"

"I can't tell you," she replied blankly. The response was almost immediate, as if rehearsed.

He stared at her for a while then, his eyes filling with a tremendous amount of worry. He was going to say something, but realized something. Lucy needed space. She had been avoiding something for weeks, but more time alone might be what she needs. Not for that much longer, though. She couldn't be alone for such a long time.

"Whatever it is," Natsu began, "just, come back to the guild soon. Everyone's worried—especially Cana."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. "Cana? Why?"

The dragon slayer looked towards the ceiling in thought. "Not sure. It might be because she saw you all sad and shit, then you screamed and ran away when she got near you."

"Oh," Lucy whispered, blushing at the memory of the awkward moment she'd had with Cana.

Natsu stared at the blonde suspiciously. "Wait—she's your friend. Why would her being worried about you be such a surprise?"

Lucy's blush deepened at Natsu's sudden question. _Shit_.

"N-No reason!" she exclaimed nervously, putting her hands up in surrender.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Lucy," he growled, "if there's something going on that's causing all these problems for you, you need to tell me. I'm not gonna let my best friend develop some damn depressed state for who knows how long."

"It's fine, Natsu," she sighed. "I'm fine."

Crossing his arms, he furrowed his brows together. She must have been convincing, because his worried expression had disappeared. Now, it was replaced with slight anger.

"Fine," he grunted, "but you _need_ to come back to the guild. Stop fucking around."

And with that, he left. The door slammed a bit loudly, but not loud enough to disturb anyone else in the building. Lucy stood there for a moment in complete and utter shock. Natsu had never talked to her like that before, and he never sounded so angry towards her since they met. It was usually the other way around.

After realizing that she lied to her best friend in order to avoid his possible judgment, tears began to fall down her cheeks. How long could she keep this act up? The blonde had no idea. For now, she'd have to go back to the the guild and pretend that nothing was wrong. Even if Cana is there. Lucy could get through this. She could get over it.

Confident with her decision, Lucy wasn't going to let insomnia control her tonight. Even if nightmares dominated her thoughts, she was going to fall asleep.

It didn't take long for sleep to consume her. She was exhausted. Strangely enough, she didn't have any nightmares. The dream she had was, actually, quite pleasant.

...

 _While Lucy was sleeping soundly in her bed, she was suddenly awoken by a strange noise. She sat up quickly and looked around to find out where the noise was coming from. The blonde then heard knocking on her window that was by her bed. Lucy sat up on her knees so she could reach for the curtains, pulling them aside in order to see the figure that was outside her window. She gasped at the sight of the figure._

 _Cana._

 _Cana was outside her window. What the hell? Pulling the curtains away completely, she unlatched the lock on her window and opened it. The brunette crawled inside and fell on the other girl's bed. After struggling to sit up, she was soon in a comfortable enough position. She looked over at Lucy, who was staring at her with her mouth forming a perfect 'o' shape._

 _"Cana, what are you doing here?" Lucy asked in utter confusion._

 _"Hey," Cana said, smirking._

 _A light blush formed on Lucy's cheeks when the brunette smirked. "Hi?"_

 _"I've been worried about you, ya know," she said softly, reaching up to place a strand of blonde hair behind Lucy's ear._

 _"Y-Yeah?" she said nervously, her blush deepening._

" _Yeah."_

 _Before she knew it, Cana was leaning in closer. Lucy closed her eyes slowly and sighed as their lips came in contact._

…

Lucy continued to dream in bliss. She definitely was not going to be getting over Cana any time soon.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry if I'm going a bit slow, I really want to take my time in developing the story. Anyways, I'll probably have Lucy and Cana _actually_ interact next chapter. Thank you for reading!


	4. Acceptance

**A/N:** So, I made a mix on 8tracks dedicated to this fic. I've been listening to it nonstop because I love it so much. I wanted to share it with you: 8tracks dot com /edroid/love-will-find-a-way Thank you for reading my fic! I can't wait to develop it lots :+)

Chapter 4 — Acceptance

* * *

It took Lucy about three more days to return to the guild. Other members immediately noticed her presence as she opened the front doors and made her way inside. Many told her how worried they had been while others asked her if everything was alright. She made sure to assure her fellow guild members that everything was fine—even though it wasn't. The blonde was able to fall back into a regular sleeping schedule, but she still had the occasional nightmare. Her other dreams, however, had been pleasant and blissful. All of them involved a certain brunette she took a strong liking to once the guild had revived.

Unfortunately, she was still trying to convince herself that she didn't have romantic feelings for Cana. Lucy was stubborn when it came to this topic. She had slowly began to accept her feelings, but still found a way to feel paranoid that the guild wouldn't accept this.

Anyone could tell that she was avoiding someone, and that she was head-over-heels for said someone, but no one could ever pinpoint exactly who it was that Lucy could possibly be attracted to. Most of the men in Fairy Tail had hoped that it was them, but they would be deeply disappointed if they ever were to find out who it was.

As Lucy sat down at a table that was occupied by her friend Levy, the bluenette stared at the blonde in question.

"Welcome back, Lu-chan," Levy greeted, giving the smallest of smiles. "Where have you been?"

Lucy smiled back nervously. "Oh, you know... here and there."

She could tell that Levy knew she was lying. After finding out about Lucy's feelings towards Cana, Levy was glad that her friend was happy and found someone to care about, but she became worried about her when she suddenly ran off. Her absence from the guild for the next few weeks just furthered her worry towards the blonde.

"Natsu told me that he stopped at your apartment to check on you," the bluenette began, "and said that you looked like you hadn't slept in days. Is everything alright? Are you not sleeping properly?"

Lucy sighed. She was hoping that Natsu wouldn't tell anyone about what happened. "For a while, yes, I had trouble falling asleep. It's alright now, though," she assured her friend.

Levy frowned. "Are you still scared about the guild finding out about... you know?"

The blonde nodded immediately.

"Lu-chan..." the bluenette said softly. There had to be a way to help Lucy know that the guild would accept her. She began thinking of possible ways to convince her, but her thoughts were cut short when Lucy began talking after a few moments of silence between the two.

"I've decided that I'm going to deny my feelings until they go away."

Levy's eyes widened slightly at the blonde's words. "Lu-chan, that's not healthy," she told Lucy, fully knowing that she would most likely push aside anything that the bluenette had to say about it.

"I'll be fine, Levy," Lucy claimed, even though she wasn't entirely sure of that.

The other girl raised an eyebrow, thinking of ways to convince the blonde otherwise. "What about when Cana talks to you? You can't avoid her forever."

"You're right," she replied, "which is why I'm not gonna avoid her anymore. I need to face this problem head on in order to get over it."

The bluenette was surprised to hear how confident Lucy was about this. "You shouldn't hide this Lu-chan," Levy told her before realizing something. "Ya know, a few years ago there was a rumor that spread around saying that Cana was interested in girls... It's just a rumor, but it could be true."

Lucy was shocked at this, but still wasn't convinced. "I don't think it means anything."

"It means that you might have a chance to be with her, Lu-chan!" the other girl said, frowning.

"I really don't think I do," Lucy mumbled, shrugging.

Levy sighed. She didn't want to force the blonde to do anything, but she also didn't want to watch her make herself lock away her feelings and throw away the key. It was possible that Lucy might destroy herself in the process, and Levy couldn't let that happen to her friend. For now, she would let Lucy be in denial, but hopefully the celestial spirit mage would soon realize the consequences of keeping such feelings hidden.

* * *

Later that day, Levy had gone out on a job with Gajeel. This left the blonde by herself with the occasional conversation with other guild members.

Lucy figured that she should also go on a job due to her rent deadline coming up soon. She examined the job board leisurely until her eyes appeared on the perfect job that she could take. It seemed easy and it paid a bit more than the amount of the monthly rent that she owed. Grabbing the piece of paper from the wall, she turned around and made her way towards the door. However, a voice had stopped her. It wasn't just any voice, though; it was Cana.

"Hey, Lucy," the brunette spoke from behind her, "mind if I tag along?"

Lucy's eyes widened, a small blush forming across her cheeks. "Um, well..." she replied, running a hand through her hair nervously, "I dunno. I should probably go alone, 'cause ya know, it's probably just meant for one person."

Cana folded her arms and stared at Lucy in annoyance. She thought for a moment before taking the paper from Lucy's hands.

"Nah, I'm coming."

The brunette then gripped the other girl's arm and dragged her out of the guild.

The mage gasped at the sudden contact and proclamation made by Cana. "C-Cana!" Lucy shouted as she struggled to get away from her grasp.

When they were far away enough from the guild, Cana let go of Lucy so they could walk side by side. It didn't take long for the celestial spirit mage to accept the fact that the other girl was coming whether she liked it or not. They walked towards the location of the job in silence, until Cana was the first to break that silence.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Lucy jumped at the sudden question. "What?"

"It's just... you started avoiding the guild after you ran off when I talked to you," the brunette told her, "I keep thinking it's because I did something I shouldn't have."

It took a few moments for Lucy to process what Cana had told her until she was able to respond. "No, no! You didn't do anything wrong!" she assured her. "Trust me."

Cana raised her eyebrows in question. "Then why did you run away from me a few weeks ago?"

"O-Oh, well..." Lucy stuttered while trying to think of an excuse, "you just scared me, is all!"

Cana smirked. "Alright, then."

Lucy looked away as she hid her now-forming blush behind her hands, trying not to smile too widely.

* * *

Their job had been tremendously easy and were able to finish in no time, but as they were returning to the guild, they were ambushed by four strong mages. They all had made it very clear that they were looking for jewels, but neither girl planned on giving up the jewels that they earned.

The two had been able to keep themselves from losing to them, but the mages fighting against them were too strong. It seemed that if they didn't get what they wanted, they'd be willing to kill their opponents.

"Cana!" Lucy screamed as the brunette's back smacked against the pavement.

As Cana lay there on the ground, the thieves patted her down in order to find the jewels. When they were able to retrieve them, they managed to knock Lucy on the ground as well. The four mages instantly fled the scene once they were satisfied.

Lucy's eyes slowly opened after being knocked out for a few minutes, forgetting what had happened for a moment. Her gaze appeared across Cana, who was unconscious and lying against the pavement. Eyes widening, she quickly stood. Even though it hurt for her to move so fast, the blonde was more worried about her friend and failed to realize her own injuries.

After running over to Cana and she was by her side, she got down on her knees and lightly shook the brunette by the shoulders, trying to wake her. After a few seconds, Cana began to stir in her dazed state as her eyes opened gently. She gazed at Lucy before wondering why she was on the ground—and why did her body hurt so much?

"Lucy?" the mage mumbled. "What happened?"

The other girl's eyes widened, tears glistening on her waterline. "Oh, Cana!" Lucy cried, wrapping her arms around Cana. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"W-What?" the brunette said in confusion, a small blush finding its way to her cheeks. "Seriously, what happened?"

"Oh, um…" Lucy replied, sitting up after realizing how embarrassing her previous actions were. "We were ambushed. They were a lot stronger than us and they stole our jewels."

"What?!" Cana shouted, instantly sitting up even though it was painful to do so. "I can't believe I let them get away!"

The brunette had then tried to stand, but Lucy was able to hold her back.

"Cana, no! You're hurt, you shouldn't be moving."

"No, I need to get our jewels back!" she yelled while struggling to get out of Lucy's grasp.

"No," Lucy told her, "you don't."

Cana looked at the blonde suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"It's fine, we can go on another job once you've healed," she assured her friend. "I'm just glad you're okay."

The brunette sat back then, relaxing at the blonde's words. "You, too," Cana smiled.

Lucy returned her smile, her cheeks suddenly feeling hot. After a few moments, she stood and reached her hand out towards the brunette. "Come on, we should get back to the guild."

Cana nodded, taking the other girl's hand. As Lucy helped her up, Cana winced in pain. Her body definitely wasn't ready to move yet after taking a beating.

"Does it hurt to move?" Lucy asked her with a worried expression.

"Yeah," Cana replied, placing a hand over her stomach—which had been the most affected part of her body. "I think they kicked me in the stomach… or maybe the ribs. Can't tell."

The blonde frowned. "Here," she said, turning her back to her, "climb on my back. I'll carry you back to the guild."

"Really?" the brunette chuckled. "Alright."

After a few moments of struggling to pick Cana up, the brunette was finally safely secured on the other girl's back. Lucy held onto her legs tightly while Cana had her arms firmly around Lucy's chest. Being this close to Cana made Lucy's stomach flutter.

After walking for quite some time, Lucy stopped so she could take a break. It was hard carrying someone who was most likely the same weight as you.

"Hey," Lucy heard Cana say as she sat down. "I'm sorry they took our jewels. When we get back, I'll give you the amount you need to pay rent."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "Really? Why would you do that?"

"'Cause you're my friend," Cana said, giving a slight smirk, "and it's basically my fault they were stolen in the first place. I shouldn't have let them do that to us."

"No," the blonde told her, frowning, "it's not your fault. If it weren't for you, they probably would have killed me. Thank you."

Cana smiled and nodded.

"And… you don't have to give me any of your jewels. I can get some more later," she said, offering a smile to the brunette. "We should focus on getting back to the guild. Can you walk?"

"I think so," Cana replied, getting up ever so slowly. "I'm still gonna pay you back, though."

Lucy rolled her eyes; she definitely wasn't going to let Cana do that.

After taking a few steps, she heard Cana groan in pain. The blonde was immediately by her side again.

"I still need something to hold on to," the brunette said. "Help me walk?"

Lucy nodded and put Cana's arm around her shoulders. They walked in comfortable silence all the way back to the guild. She was glad that Cana came, because it helped her realize something.

It helped her realize that she liked girls; specifically, Cana. She had never really liked boys, and now that she was able to acknowledge her feelings, she could accept them as well.

She finally accepted herself.

* * *

As they stepped foot in the guild, a few members immediately came to Cana's aid. After making sure that Cana was in good hands, Lucy made her way over to Levy, who was now back from her mission with Gajeel. She had her head held high in confidence.

Lucy was still pretty nervous about telling her other friends, so she took a hold of Levy's wrist and dragged her out of the guild. She heard Gajeel yell in protest and confusion, but the blonde's news was much more important.

"Lu-chan," Levy said, smiling, "you look happy."

Lucy nodded in excitement.

"I'm guessing the mission with Cana went well?" the bluenette teased.

"Levy," she spoke, "I'm ready to admit it."

"Admit…?" Levy responded, waiting for Lucy to continue.

"I like girls," Lucy said happily, "and more specifically, I like Cana."

The other girl's eyes lit up at the blonde's words. She smiled and enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so happy for you."

Once they had released their hug, Levy became a tad worried again.

"What about the guild?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'll tell them when I'm ready, and if they can't accept me for who I am, then they don't deserve me."

Levy's smile widened at this. Both girls were overwhelmed with happiness.

* * *

After the two girls had gone back into the guild, they sat down and talked with Gajeel for a while. Lucy remained at the guild so she could see Cana once she was done being tended to. It took about a few hours for the brunette to exit the guild's infirmary, taking a seat next to Lucy. A blush formed across Lucy's cheeks when Levy smirked at the blonde. Lucy then pushed the moment aside and focused her attention on Cana.

"Is everything okay, Cana?" Lucy asked her, suddenly worried when she remembered the state her friend had been in when they returned to the guild.

Cana grinned. "Of course. I'm just kind of beaten up, but I'll make a quick recovery."

"That's good," Lucy replied as she offered her a smile.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Cana suddenly remembered something. "Oh, by the way," Cana said before reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a stack of jewels. "Here's the jewels I promised."

Lucy's eyes widened slightly. She looked down at the jewels. "I told you you didn't have to give me these…"

"It's fine," the brunette told her, "I insist."

"Thank you," Lucy smiled.

Cana nodded in response before standing from her place on the bench. Once she had walked far enough away from them, Lucy planted her face against the table in embarrassment. Levy began to tease her as Gajeel sat there confused. Even though Lucy wasn't ready to pursue Cana and tell her friends about her newly found sexual orientation, she was ready to accept herself. And she was happy about that.

* * *

 **A/N:** I couldn't remember if Fairy Tail has an infirmary or not, so just pretend there is one if there really isn't. I spent a really long time writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed! And make sure to listen to the mix I mentioned at the beginning of the fic if you'd like! I'll link it again. Thank you for reading. 8tracks dot com /edroid/love-will-find-a-way


	5. Sweet

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update! I had a lot of work to do two weeks ago bc it was my last week of school. It's summer now, though, and I'm also working on a multichapter Gruvia fic! Sadly, I have online summer school to do, but hopefully it doesn't get in the way of updating this fic. I hope you enjoy!

Also, happy pride to my fellow LGBT+ members! I'm really happy about marriage equality being achieved nationwide in the US. It's a small step towards total equality, but it is still a step nonetheless!

* * *

Chapter 5 — Sweet

A few days had passed since Lucy figured out her sexual orientation. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she was just relieved that she knew how she felt. The only person that knew was Levy, and the blonde didn't plan on telling anyone else anytime soon. Lucy was also completely unsure of how to even start a conversation with Cana without getting nervous.

Lucy had stopped avoiding the guild and came in everyday as she normally did. Cana had been absent the past couple of days, though, and the blonde was getting worried about her. She knew that the other girl was fine, but she really just wanted an excuse to see her. Even if she was nervous around her, it didn't mean that she was going to start avoiding her again. Lucy would need to "make a move" on her at some point if she ever wanted to be with Cana romantically.

She then realized that she wasn't entirely sure where Cana even was. Getting up from her table, she made her way towards Mirajane. Before she could say anything, however, Mirajane interrupted her.

"You're looking for Cana?" she asked, smiling.

Lucy looked at her suspiciously. "How did you know that?"

"Everyday you look around the guild and you make this sad face when you see that a certain someone isn't here."

The blonde sighed and looked down in embarrassment. "Am I that obvious?"

Mirajane's smile widened. "Only to me," she told her. "Anyways, Master told Cana she needed a few days of rest, so she's been at her dorm in Fairy Hills."

Lucy smiled, feeling stupid for not suspecting that that was where Cana would be. "Thanks, Mira," she replied before exiting the guild.

Butterflies began to form in her stomach. Lucy couldn't believe she was about to go see Cana.

* * *

Lucy wasn't sure if she should get flowers for Cana or not. She could pretend it was a way of hoping she'd get well soon, but really she just wanted to give her hints that she likes her.

Stepping into the flower shop, the blonde instantly became unsure of what flowers to get her. She examined some of the different types of flowers, but didn't really see any that would be good for Cana. After a while of looking around, she decided to put two different types of flowers in one bouquet. She picked red tulips and daisies. Once she arranged them nicely, she brought them up to the counter so she could purchase them

As Lucy set the bouquet down on the counter, the florist stared at her knowingly.

"Your special someone will definitely enjoy these."

A blush quickly formed on Lucy's cheeks. "What? No!"

"No need to lie, dear," she said as she added up the price. "I know what these flowers mean."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What do they mean exactly?"

"Well, the daisy means innocence," the florist declared, "and the red tulip means a declaration of love. How sweet."

Lucy's blush deepened. How could she not realize what the flowers meant? She definitely couldn't bring these flowers to Cana now.

"N-Nevermind!" she yelled frantically before rushing out of the flower shop. The blonde continued running until she was too tired to continue. Once she came to a complete stop and looked around her, she noticed that Fairy Hills wasn't that far from where she was. It was a good thing she ran in the right direction.

Lucy continued walking until she finally reached the female dormitory. She hesitated briefly before entering the building. A few of her fellow guild members noticed she was there and were more than happy to point her in the direction of Cana's room. Once she was standing in front her door, she stood there for a few moments before knocking softly.

A couple of seconds had passed before Cana opened the door. The brunette raised her eyebrows in surprise at the sight of Lucy.

"Hi," Lucy said softly.

Cana leaned against the doorframe. "Hey," she replied, smirking.

They stood there in silence for a while.

"So..." Cana mumbled to break the silence. "Do you want to come in?"

"S-Sure!" Lucy stuttered, rubbing the back of her head anxiously.

Cana moved out of the way so Lucy could step inside. The blonde examined the room. She wasn't surprised at all when she saw a few empty bottles of beer.

"Not that I don't mind that you're here, but why are you here?" the brunette asked.

A blushed made its way to Lucy's cheeks. "I just wanted to check up on you and see if you're doing okay."

"Oh," she replied. "I'm fine."

"I was gonna bring you flowers, but I... uh, got lost."

Cana raised an eyebrow and looked at her curiously before smiling at the blonde. "How sweet."

The two girls stood there for a while enjoying each others' presence. Lucy felt comfortable with Cana, even if they weren't saying anything. She just felt so calm around her. It took a minute for Lucy to say something again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lucy asked, still a bit worried about Cana.

Cana sighed. "Yes, Lucy," she assured her. "It was just a little beating."

"I don't mean physically," the other girl said. "I mean mentally."

"Oh." Cana murmured. She looked towards the floor, a look of disappointment crossing her features.

"You just seemed mad at yourself."

"I am."

Lucy frowned. "So, you still are."

The brunette nodded. Lucy could tell that Cana was too hard on herself. She knew this since they were partners on Tenrou Island. That was when Lucy really got to know her. It's strange how, then, she had absolutely no idea that she would become attracted to Cana romantically. Fate wasn't something she totally believed in, but in this case, she thought fate was a funny thing. Lucy also remembered when the guild disbanded and how awful it was; she didn't realize that, in a year, the guild would be revived. The day she returned to Fairy Tail was one of the best days of her life, and seeing Cana again wasn't just a nice bonus. It was a realization.

"You don't have to be," she told her.

"Yes, I do," Cana said. "They could've hurt you, or worse."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What about you? They hurt you."

"I don't really care about _me_ ," she confessed. "You're one of my best friends, and I'd never forgive myself if they did anything to you."

The blonde's heart began beating rapidly. Her blush had deepened into a crimson color and she felt tears form on her waterline. She quickly brought her hands up to cover her face, profusely wiping the few tears from her eyes.

"Lucy..." Cana said softly as a worried frown formed on her face. "Are you crying?"

"It's fine," Lucy assured her through a muffled sob. "I'm just really happy that you see me as one of your best friends. I see you as one, too." _I see you as more._

Cana smiled, then. "We should go out tomorrow."

"What?" the blonde asked, eyes widening due to her confusion towards the sudden question.

"Yeah, like, we should go get dinner tomorrow and have a few drinks. Sounds fun, huh?"

Lucy smiled back at her, her face flushing again. She reached up to brush a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. "O-Okay."

"Cool," Cana replied.

A few moments of comfortable silence passed again before Lucy decided to leave.

"See you tomorrow!" Cana hollered as Lucy walked down the hallway. She waved back at the brunette.

Lucy wasn't sure if they were going on a date or if it was just a dinner between friends. Either way, she was excited.

* * *

Once she reached the guild, she quickly began looking for Levy. She was the only one she could talk to about this, obviously.

"Levy!" she shouted when she spotted the bluenette.

"Lu-chan?" Levy said curiously. Before she could say anything else, Lucy grabbed her arm. She dragged Levy away from the table she had been sitting at. The smaller girl writhed in protest, but gave up once they were in a private section of the guild.

After seeing the panic on the blonde's face, Levy became worried.

"What's wrong, Lu-chan?" she asked, concerned.

Lucy took a moment to put together the words she was going to say. It was so weird putting them together in a sentence. "I… I think Cana asked me out on a date?" she answered, her sentence ending in question because she was _still_ unsure of what the whole thing meant.

The bluenette gasped, eyes widening. "Really? Lu-chan, that's great!"

"I don't know if it's an _actual_ date, though!" Lucy cried in defeat.

"Oh…" she whispered.

The other girl heaved a sigh and leaned against the wall. "I don't know what to do. What if it's just a friendly dinner and I treat it like a date? If Cana finds out, she'll probably hate me and—"

"Lu-chan," Levy interrupted, "don't say that. Cana would never hate you for having a crush on her. I'm sure she'd be okay with it, even if she didn't feel the same way."

Lucy's frown deepened at the thought of being rejected by Cana. How could she ever find another girl like her?

"I can help you prepare for the date," the smaller girl suggested. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow night."

Levy looked towards the ceiling and put her hand over her chin, thinking intently. "Then we'll have to start now. How does a sleepover at your apartment sound?"

Her eyes lit up at the idea. "Okay!" Lucy replied in excitement.

"Great," the bluenette said, "I'll have to go back to Fairy Hills and grab some things, but I'll meet you there later, okay?"

Lucy nodded happily. She watched her friend walk back towards the table she had previously been sitting at. Having Levy stay over at her apartment was always a fun thing to do. Heading towards the front door of the guild, Lucy skipped joyfully outside. It was as if she had forgotten about how panicked she was just a minute ago.

* * *

The sun was just about to set when Lucy had heard a knock on the door. It was, of course, Levy. The other girl stood there in her doorway with a bag in hand. Lucy smiled at her friend and allowed her inside. Levy was silent as she set her things down and took a seat on Lucy's couch. The blonde sat down next to her and waited for her to say something. It felt like hours had passed when Levy finally spoke up.

"First things first," she began, "when did you start getting… _feelings_ towards Cana?"

"U-Um…" Lucy stuttered nervously, a blush already appearing on her cheeks. "It was when the guild revived. She put her arm around me and it just felt… nice?

"That's so cute, Lu-chan!" the bluenette told her, smiling wide. "Okay, so about the date. I'd say dress nice, but not _too_ nice. If it's just a friendly dinner, it'll set her off. But if it's an actual date, you'll at least be a little dressed up."

Lucy nodded slowly. She started thinking about the possible clothes she could wear. There were plenty of nice, but not too nice, clothing items in her closet. Should she wear a dress? No, that would be too nice. A skirt? Maybe. It probably just depends on how the whole outfit looks together.

Lucy snapped out of her daze. She was looking into this way too much. It didn't really matter what she wore on the "date." Even if it was an actual date, Cana wouldn't care if Lucy dressed nice or not. The blonde's gaze shifted to Levy as she began to speak again.

"Also, you should get a booth at whatever restaurant you go to. It's more private."

Nodding again, Lucy began thinking of potential restaurants Cana might suggest. She then became nervous. What if she says something wrong? What if she messes up? She could tell that Levy could sense her sudden anxiety.

"Lu-chan," Levy said, interrupting her train of thought. "Don't be nervous. It'll be fine."

Lucy sighed as she brought her knees up to her chest. "I hope so."

Even if Lucy was nervous, she was also excited. It could be the next step towards getting closer with Cana. This date could lead to something amazing, and Lucy was ready for it.

* * *

 **A/N:** Aaahhhh I'm pretty sure I'm getting sick ugh. Anyways, I hope this chapter was suffice. I feel like it's not as good as I wanted it to be. Thank you for reading! ^_^

Special thanks to **Choppie09** and **thatcoolguy17** for reviewing! Thank you!


	6. First Date

**A/N:** Here's the new chapter! Hope you like it! — Trigger warning for minor sexual assault (not what you think btw), which is why the rating is now **M** just in case—even though it is not very explicit. If you'd like to skip it, stop reading at "It could have been easily avoided if something actually were to happen." and continue when Lucy says "Where are the treasure hunters?" Don't worry, this will not be the only mature content and there definitely will be some nice, consensual activities between Cana and Lucy later on! Thank you for waiting for this overdue update!

* * *

Chapter 6 — First Date

The night before her "date" with Cana was restless, and the next day was even worse. Lucy was undeniably nervous and excited; she kept obsessing over what to wear and how to act. Her blue-haired friend tried her best to help calm her down, but to no avail. She kept thinking it would go badly or that she'd do something wrong. Levy couldn't help but giggle at this, since they didn't know if it was even a real date or not. And from the way Cana treats Lucy, it's obvious to Levy that she has _some_ sort of feelings towards the blonde.

"Can you stop already, Lu-chan? It'll be fine."

Lucy's frown just deepened. She shook her head and hid her face in her pillow.

Sighing, Levy stood from her place on Lucy's couch. She grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her onto her feet. Lucy yelped in surprise, glaring in annoyance at the other girl once she was standing.

"You aren't going to be like this before your date," she told her. "I'll help you pick out some clothes."

Lucy groaned before stomping to her room, over exaggerating her anger towards Levy. She really just wished the date could be over by now. But if that happened, she'd end up missing the entire thing. Once she was in her bedroom, she sat down on her bed and watched as Levy went directly to Lucy's closet. Her friend began going through all her clothing. She picked out a few things and threw it on the other side of the bed. Lucy could see that she was mostly picking out skirts and nice dress tops. It seemed appropriate, she thought. And it also wouldn't be too nice if Cana didn't see it as an actual date.

Once there was a fairly large pile of clothes on Lucy's bed, Levy began holding them up one by one to see her reaction to them. To most of them Lucy shook her head, but there were a few things she thought would be decent for the event. She ended up picking out a regular blue skirt and a white button up sleeveless collar shirt with a blue bow around the neck.

She examined herself in the mirror, smiling as soon as she felt pleased with her appearance. As she walked back over to her bed, she slipped on some black shoes. She reached for a small box from under her bed, pulling out a blue hairbow. Lucy walked back over to her mirror before placing her hair in her usual side pony tail.

Levy looked her up and down, pondering thoughtfully before smiling at her friend. "You look good, Lu-chan!"

"Just good?" Lucy frowned.

"Oh, no! You look amazing, trust me!"

Lucy sighed in relief. She was so nervous about what could possibly happen on this date, and it'd make her feel better to know that Levy approved of her appearance.

"What time is it?" she asked the bluenette, fixing her hair even though there was nothing to fix.

"Almost six," Levy replied.

She had told Cana that they would meet each other at the guild at seven. And apparently she had some time to kill before she had to go meet her... date. Lucy giggled at the thought. A date. Was it that to Cana? She hoped so. Until she found out otherwise, Lucy decided to just call it a date. Cana did in fact say _go out_ , and that usually meant a date, right?

It didn't take long for Lucy to get nervous. She began shaking and didn't notice the sudden anxiety overwhelming her. Levy noticed this, and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder as a way of comforting her.

"You'll be fine, Lu-chan."

Lucy frowned. "I hope you're right."

* * *

It was ten minutes before seven, and Lucy found herself rushing to the guild. She didn't want to be late, so hopefully Cana wasn't there yet. Her assumption was wrong because once she was inside the guild, there she was. The brunette immediately noticed Lucy's presence and waved her over. She approached slowly, still feeling a bit nervous. All of her anxiety seemed to flutter away once saw Cana's signature smirk. Whenever she did that, it made Lucy want to kiss her. It took her a while to snap back to reality and remind herself that she can't kiss Cana. That reminder was always sad to her.

"Hey, Lucy!" Cana greeted as the blonde sat down next to her.

Lucy smiled in response.

"So, I thought we'd go to 8-Island for dinner," she told her. "Is that okay?"

She nodded, excited to go. "It sounds great."

"Cool," Cana replied before standing. She held her hand out to Lucy. "Shall we?"

A blush quickly formed on Lucy's cheeks. She wanted to hold her hand? "Y-Yeah," she stuttered nervously, taking her hand.

It seemed that Cana wasn't ashamed to walk through the guild holding her hand. Some members looked their way, but they probably just saw it as a gesture between friends. But Lucy hoped it was way more than that. Her hand felt sweaty, but Cana didn't seem to mind. Either that or her hand wasn't sweaty at all and Lucy was just paranoid; it was probably the latter.

Their walk to the restaurant was short; and to Lucy's surprise, Cana held her hand the entire time. The feel of her hand was nice, she had to admit. It felt like their hands were two puzzle pieces fitting together. Holding hands with her just felt _right_. Like their hands were meant for each other. It sounded cliché, but Lucy really did think that. Lucy didn't even notice when they reached the restaurant; she was too distracted from holding Cana's hand. The brunette had to snap her out of her daze so that she didn't run into a wall when trying to enter the restaurant.

Cana laughed lightly when Lucy shuddered in embarrassment. She assured the blonde that it was fine, and they finally made their way into the restaurant. Cana let go of her hand once they were inside and the absence of her hand was cold in Lucy's palm. After waiting a bit, the hostess sat them down at a booth that was, thankfully, in the back of the restaurant. 8-Island was pretty busy at the time, so they had to wait a while to get their order taken.

"This bites," Cana said, furrowing her eyebrows together. Lucy could tell she was getting impatient.

"It's fine," she assured the brunette. "It's fun just sitting here with you."

Cana gave her a small smile, trying to hide a small blush that Lucy already noticed. If _that_ didn't show that this was a real date, then what would? The blonde would have to just wait and see.

After about a half hour wait, a waitress had finally gone over to them to take their order. In all honesty, Lucy wasn't all that hungry. She decided to order the same thing Cana did, to the brunette's surprise. It took about the same amount of time for their food to be done, but neither girls minded.

"So how've you been feeling?" Lucy asked her, hoping for a good answer.

Cana sighed. "Okay."

Lucy frowned slightly. "Are you still beating yourself up over what happened?"

"No." Cana immediately replied, but Lucy could tell that she wasn't telling her the truth.

"Cana," she warned. "Don't lie to me."

She furrowed her eyes together, looking down towards her lap. Her hair covered her eyes, while her teeth gritted together. "Fine." she admitted. "I am."

"I'm fine," she told her. "You're fine. Both of us are okay, we weren't hurt. I'm not hurt. Stop being so hard on yourself."

Cana's face softened, but her position did not move. Lucy had reached over the table, placing her hand atop of the brunette's. She gave it a light squeeze, but tried not to cross a boundary that could cause Cana discomfort. Cana didn't seem to mind, though, since she had decided to take her hand as well and interlace their fingers. Lucy wasn't sure what to make of it. Was this a romantic gesture? A friendly gesture? It felt romantic, and it felt like Cana was pouring out certain feelings that she was too nervous to say aloud. She found it strange since Cana was always so bold in her actions.

After a while of staying like that, their food had arrived and Cana was quick to let go of Lucy's hand. The sudden change made her feel empty; she had just become accustom to the feel of Cana's hand and now she had let go. And who knew when Cana would be ready to do something like that again? That is, if she decides that the gesture was romantic or not. Lucy released a small sigh before taking a small bite out of her meal. Cana had told Lucy of how hungry she was earlier, so she was ready to dive into her food once it was set on the table.

Lucy could tell that something was still wrong with Cana. Even though she was trying hard to help the other girl feel at ease with her burden, there was still a weight that appeared to be on her shoulders. And Lucy knew that Cana would do anything to lift it. The blonde felt had for the burden that was places on her. She was aware that Cana felt like she needed to redeem herself. Hopefully she wouldn't do anything extreme in order to do that.

It didn't take long for Cana to order a few drinks, and she became tipsy within a half hour of drinking. She could tolerate alcohol, but the kind she chose this time must have affected her differently. This is because Cana began acting strange once an hour had passed since they had gotten their food.

Lucy had caught Cana glancing at the clock several times. She was worried that she was counting the minutes until it was time to leave, anticipating the end of the date. Cana had caught Lucy's worried frown. The brunette just flashed a small reassuring smile her way before looking at the lacrima clock again.

"I just have a... _thing_ to attend."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "A thing?"

"Yeah," she replied nervously. "It's boring. You'd probably hate it."

"I'm sure I wouldn't." Lucy told her, laughing lightly.

Lucy could see a line of sweat forming on the other girl's forehead. Cana reached into her pocket then, pulling out several jewels before slamming them down on the table.

"This was really fun, we should do it again sometime." she told her, getting up from the booth. "But I have to go now. I'm sorry."

"Cana?" Lucy called out as the brunette rushed out of the restaurant. Once Cana was gone, she frowned and sunk into her seat. Why was she so desperate to leave?

After sitting there for a minute, she pulled out the amount of jewels needed in order to pay the bill and tip the waitress. She then decided that she would find out what Cana was up to. She knew that it would take forever to find her, though, since she was probably long gone by now. Once the correct amount of money was left on the table, Lucy quickly got up from the booth and made her way outside of the restaurant. The dark street was barely lit by a few street lamps. There was no way of seeing anyone's faces unless you were to get extremely close to them, but other details were noticeable. None of them had Cana's features, though. Cana was gone.

Lucy immediately took off running once she felt the night air surround her. She looked down dark alleys and inside buildings that she passed. There were always a few people down the alleyways, but none of them were Cana. They would look at her and wonder why she was there, and if she wanted something from them. Lucy would just turn around and run away before they could catch up with her. Jesus christ, where could Cana be? It's not like she could have gotten that far away from the restaurant. She'd only been out of the restaurant for a short time span before Lucy was able to leave as well. So where was she? Was she hurt? Lucy's paranoia wasn't helping the situation at all. No one would know what Cana meant by "a thing to attend." It was obviously something dangerous or stupid. She just hoped that Cana was okay. She wouldn't ever be able to forgive herself if something happened to her. It could have been easily avoided if something actually were to happen.

Anxiety tightening in her chest, Lucy decided to circle back towards 8-Island. She surely could have gone back or she could be somewhere around the restaurant. Since she had no leads, she'd have to take her chances. The run back to the restaurant felt longer than her and Cana's walk there. She could see her deep breaths collect in the cool air as she ran as fast as she could. Sooner or later, she had to slow down in order to catch her breath. As she was leaning against the wall breathing heavily, she heard something alarming. Someone had yelled. And that _someone_ wasn't just anyone.

"Get off me!"

It was Cana.

Lucy's eyes widened at the sudden realization. She looked around the street to try and find where the noise was coming from. After a few more yells were released from Cana, Lucy was able to seek out the location of the brunette. She ran quickly down the alleyway she seemed to have missed earlier. How could she have missed it? She could have gotten there much sooner if she hadn't. Lucy shook her head. This was no time to think of _what if_ 's.

As she was reaching the end of the alleyway, she noticed the three people that were cornering her. It was the treasure hunters that ambushed them on their mission. Lucy felt her teeth grit. What the hell were they doing here? And why was Cana with them? Lucy shrugged off all the questions she had in her mind and decided to focus more on the situation at hand. The three men had their hands all over Cana. One of them was pinning her against the wall while the other two continued groping her and feeling her up. This made Lucy's blood boil in rage. She pulled out her celestial spirit keys.

"Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

Loke had been summoned, and he was ready to pounce on his targets. He was able to get them out of the way so that Cana was no longer trapped in the corner of the alleyway. She was out of breath and fell towards the ground. Lucy was, luckily, able to somewhat catch her before she completely hit the floor. While Loke continued fending off the three treasure hunters, Lucy tended to Cana. She examined her in case she had wounds, in which she did. She had a few bruises around her lower abdomen and chest. There was a cut on her cheek where a few drops of blood were smudged. She also had a bruise that looked a lot like a hickey located on her shoulder. That bite was obviously not wanted by the brunette, and neither were any of the other injuries.

Lucy's eyes softened, a few tears forming on her waterline. "Cana!" she cried. "Are you alright?"

After Cana didn't respond, she was ready to completely panic. Several tears began falling down her cheeks and began pooling on the ground next to Cana. Lucy tried to lift her, but she was too weak from her run to do any lifting. She pulled out another key out of impulse, but knew that she was too weak to summon another celestial spirit.

Loke was quick to return to Lucy's side once he was aware of the situation. He made sure to give them aid so that Lucy wouldn't feel the need to summon another spirit.

"Where are the treasure hunters?" the blonde asked her spirit.

Loke sighed. "They ran off. I'm not sure where they went."

Lucy nodded. "Okay," she replied. "At least they won't come back."

When they both made sure that the treasure hunters were in fact not returning, they proceeded to lift Cana up. They put her arms around both their shoulders for balance, and were able to get her off of the ground. Once they were out of the alleyway, Loke looked around suspiciously.

"So, where are we going?"

Lucy looked in a certain direction then. "My apartment."

* * *

After walking with Cana leaning against the both of them for a while, Lucy was completely exhausted. She couldn't walk with half of Cana's weight on her anymore. Loke leisurely picked Cana up so his master could rest. He made sure to be gentle, since Lucy shot him a death glare once she noticed that he had picked her up. It was a suspicious gesture, but Loke decided to ignore it.

They had finally reached Lucy's apartment after an extremely long walk in the cold night. Lucy could see Cana shivering, so she made sure Loke put her in Lucy's bed right away. The blonde could deal with sleeping on the couch for one night. She'd much rather sleep in the bed _with_ Cana, but the other girl might not want her to.

"Do you need any help?" Loke asked once he put a few layers of blankets over Cana.

Lucy sighed. "It's fine," she told him. "I can take care of her by myself."

"Are you sure?"

She glared at him again. "Yes."

Loke's eyes widened before he put his hands up in defeat. "If you say so."

Once Lucy made sure he was back in the spirit world, she dropped on her knees next to the bed. She gently placed her hand on Cana's cheek where the large cut was located. It needed medical attention right away, Lucy decided. She grabbed a cloth and some water so she could clean it. When she began wiping Cana's face, she saw the brunette squirm. Cana didn't seem to wake up, though, which was good. She needed to rest.

After Cana's cut was finally cleaned and bandaged, she removed the blankets from her to examine her other injuries. Lucy gasped when she saw blood seeping through her top. It was her signature bikini top, but a wound had opened up and and drenched it in blood. She definitely couldn't wear it anymore. Lucy hesitantly unclasped the back of the top. Was she really about to remove Cana's clothing...? Lucy heaved a sigh. Of course she was; Cana couldn't sleep in clothes that were covered in blood.

Lucy was finally able to get Cana's top off, which left her breasts exposed. The blonde tried not to look at them, but she couldn't help a few glances when she was tending to her wounds. She cleaned and bandaged any open wounds, and began cleaning off dirt that was around her abdominal area. It appeared that she had been kicked as well and not just felt up. Lucy felt her blood boil again, but shook off the feeling so she could get back to focusing on the injured girl laying in her bed.

It didn't take long for the rest of her injuries to be tended to. Eventually, Cana's wounds were bandaged and clean. She'll probably want to take a bath the next morning, though, since the rest of her body wasn't clean. Lucy's face softened when she saw Cana's chest go up and down, indicating her steady breathing. She also realized that the brunette was still naked. Her eyes widened and a blush spread across her face before she rushed over to her dresser to pull out some clothes for her. She ended up picking out a plain white tee shirt and some regular blue pajama pants.

Getting them on her was the toughest part. She managed to not wake Cana, but a few times she would mumble something or start squirming. The clothes were eventually on her, and Lucy thought that they framed her nicely. Just seeing someone you had feelings for in your clothes could make you feel all different sorts of things. In this case, Lucy found herself quick to cover Cana back up with the blanket. Without realizing it, she ran her hand through Cana's hair. She sighed contently and leaned forward before pressing a soft kiss to the brunette's forehead.

Cana was safe. She was in Lucy's apartment, sleeping in her bed.

And Lucy wasn't going to let anything else bad happen to her.

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 **A/N:** This chapter was a lot of fun to write! I love how their relationships is developing so far! Thank you so much for reading, and if you skipped the part with the sexual assault, I will fill you in with what happened. Lucy went to save Cana and summoned Loke. That's basically it? Anyways, I can't wait to start the next chapter. It's going to be really good, trust me! :+)

Special thank you to **thatcoolguy17** and **Okami-nee** (I agree, that's a really cute name ^_^) for reviewing! Until next time!


	7. Through Her Eyes

**A/N:** So, I decided to make this chapter in Cana's POV. It's about to get super fluffy and comforting. Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 7 — Through Her Eyes

The place felt unfamiliar, and the sheets on the bed were a different fabric than her usual ones. Where was she? Cana had tried to move, but ended up groaning in pain when she did so. In fact, her entire body was in pain. She popped an eye open and looked around. The room looked familiar, where had she seen this before…?

Oh. It was Lucy's apartment. Cana immediately began to wonder why she was there. Her head was pounding and her body hurt all over. She had no idea what had happened the night before, let alone why she was even in Lucy's apartment. Not _just_ in her apartment, but in her _bed_.

The sudden thought had made Cana's cheeks feel hot. She shook her head, deciding that now was not the time to be flustered over something stupid. The brunette began to move her body, attempting to sit up. A painful feeling hit her abdomen, and she shouted in pain before falling back against the bed. The sudden noise had apparently woken Lucy up because in a little under ten seconds, she was racing into the bedroom.

"Cana, you're awake!" the blonde cheered once she was at her friend's side. "How are you feeling?"

Cana blinked, closing her eyes for a brief moment and opening them again. "Sore."

Lucy frowned lightly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah," Cana replied immediately. "Tell me what the hell happened last night."

"Oh, um…" she mumbled, hesitating.

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Was it bad?"

Lucy bit her bottom lip and nodded. Worry had spread through her eyes.

Smirking, Cana closed her eyes. "You can tell me. I can handle it."

"Well…" Lucy whispered nervously.

"Lucy," Cana said in reassurance. She needed to know what happened.

Lucy looked towards the ground and crossed her arms. "Okay," she began. "Last night, after you left, I guess you went to find those treasure hunters that ambushed us. I don't know what happened, but when I found you, they were all over you. They were… touching you."

"W-What…?"

"I got them off of you, but they ran off and I don't know where they went," she continued. "But what I really want to know is why you met with them in the first place?"

Cana sighed, trying to briefly put the images flashing in her mind away. "I wanted to get our jewels back."

"Eh?!" Lucy said in confusion, raising her voice. "I'm sorry, but why the hell would you do that? You could have been in way worse condition if I hadn't found you. And for what? Jewels that you probably didn't even get back?"

Cana smirked. "Oh, I got the jewels back."

The blonde's eyes widened. "What? Seriously?"

"You underestimate me." she said as she lightly patted her pocket.

Lucy dropped to her knees by the bed and gently wrapped her arms around the other girl. "Cana, that's amazing!"

After a moment of silence, Lucy lifted her head back up. Cana had then realized that her face was inches away from Lucy. She could feel her breath ghosting over her lips. The brunette's cheeks felt warm.

"U-Um," Cana stuttered.

Lucy realized the closeness and quickly stood back up, stepping away from the bed. "S-Sorry!"

Cana gave a small smile. "It's fine."

"So…" Lucy murmured. "Do you need anything?"

The brunette thought for a moment, before looking back towards Lucy. "A bath would be nice."

Cana had noticed her cheeks reddening. "O-Okay."

Lucy walked back over to the bed and gently lifted the covers off of Cana. Once Cana could see the state of her body, she was shocked at the bruises she saw. She was also wearing a white tee shirt, and a few bandages could vaguely be seen underneath it.

"Where did this shirt come from?" Cana asked.

Lucy laughed nervously. "It's mine. Yours had blood on it, so I let you borrow mine."

"Oh," Cana replied. "Thanks."

The brunette felt a blush creep across her cheeks. If she was wearing her shirt, it meant that Lucy had changed her and _definitely_ saw her naked. She decided not to ask, since it would most likely create an awkward silence.

"Can you move?" Lucy asked.

"Kind of," she answered, attempting to move. Once she had, she cried out in pain again.

"Where does it hurt?" the blonde questioned, placing her hand on her stomach. The gesture made Cana's heart beat rapidly.

Cana groaned. "Everywhere."

"Well," Lucy sighed, "you really _should_ take a bath. You'll need to endure the pain for now until we get you to the bathroom."

The brunette frowned. "You saying I'm dirty?"

Lucy laughed lightly, running a hand through the other girl's hair before saying, "Yes."

"So mean..." Cana whined.

It was obvious to Cana that they were flirting, and Lucy didn't seem to be oblivious to it. Was she playing along? It was almost unbelievable.

Lucy took Cana's hand and slowly began helping her sit up. Many sounds of pain came from Cana, but she was eventually sitting upright. Cana hadn't realized how serious her injuries were. A sudden curiosity consumed her thoughts; she stopped Lucy from helping her stand.

"Lucy," she said, their faces inches away from each other. "What happened to me last night? In detail."

Lucy bit her lip, hesitating. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes," she answered. "Tell me everything. I want to know what they did to me."

"Okay, well," Lucy began. "When you left all of a sudden, I got worried so I went looking for you. It took forever for me to find you. You were in an alley."

Cana suddenly became nervous.

"The treasure hunters had obviously beaten you and cut you, but they also started touching you. And feeling you up," she continued. "I don't know where they touched you, and I don't know if they did anything beyond touching. I summoned Loke and when we got them off you, I took you back here and patched you up."

Tears had found its way to Cana's waterline before running down her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, giving a small smile.

Lucy had reached out and wiped the stray tears from Cana's face. She kept her hand there, placed gently on her cheek. The brunette closed her eyes and leaned into her touch. She felt safe with Lucy, and also wanted to protect her just as much. It was more than a friendship, though. It was something way more. Cana thought about leaning in and kissing her, but Lucy had pulled away before she could. She looked up at the blonde, who was now standing over her. The tears that Lucy had not wiped away began drying against her skin. She knew it would hurt too much to reach up and wipe them away herself.

"You need to stand," Lucy stated, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "Can you?"

Cana adjusted her legs as much as she could. "Help me?"

Lucy took her hands again and began to slowly pull her to her feet. There were various pauses so Cana could adjust to the pain, but she was eventually standing. It was difficult to stand on her own, though, and found comfort in holding onto Lucy's arm as they walked towards the bathroom.

When they finally reached the bathroom, Lucy helped the brunette sit down on the edge of the bathtub. After Cana was comfortable, Lucy bent over her to turn on the water. She lifted herself back up and gathered some supplies. Once she had the necessities for a bath in hand, Lucy put them on the edge of the bath and walked towards the door.

"If you need anything, call for me, okay?"

Cana frowned. "I thought you were gonna take a bath with me..."

She saw the blonde's eyes widen as her cheeks turned a dark red. "E-Eh?!"

"Will you?" she asked, pouting her lip.

"W-Why do you want me to?" she replied nervously.

"Dunno," Cana mumbled. "I guess I just don't want to be alone right now."

She saw Lucy's eyes soften. "Okay."

The bathtub had been filled nicely, and Cana began taking off her clothes. She saw that Lucy had turned around quickly once she had noticed what Cana was doing, in which the brunette released a giggle. The shirt that Lucy let her borrow was removed, and she tossed it on the ground. Cana had successfully taken all of her clothes off. When she had reached to take off her bandages, it immediately hurt. She cried out in pain after fully removing one of them. Lucy had noticed, and rushed over to Cana to help her out. Cana didn't mind that her body was exposed to Lucy.

Once Lucy helped Cana take off her bandages, the brunette slowly slipped herself into the tub. It was painful, but once she was emerged in the warm water, she felt much better. Cana glanced towards Lucy to see her taking off her shirt. She found herself staring until Lucy noticed.

"D-Don't look!" Lucy squealed, covering herself.

Cana chuckled. "Sorry."

She looked away then, waiting for her to finish stripping. After a few moments, she heard Lucy walk over to the tub. When the blonde got in on the other side, Cana looked towards her. She was fully emerged in the bath now, and appeared to be covering her body even if it was hard to see from under the water. Cana released a sigh. Did she make Lucy uncomfortable?

"You don't have to hide yourself," she assured the other girl. "We've seen each other naked before. What's so different now?"

Lucy frowned. "I don't know… I guess it just feels weird."

Her response was vague, and Cana was nervous as to why it made Lucy feel weird.

Cana knew that she had at least a little romantic feelings for Lucy. She doesn't remember when they hit, but she felt hopeless when they did. It was hard liking a girl when you're also a girl. It wasn't seen as normal, since the boy usually went after the girl and vice versa. Cana learned to accept it, though, and decided that she didn't care what others deemed "normal." And the gender of your partner didn't matter, the only thing that mattered was if you were happy or not. That lesson saved Cana.

A few moments of silence had passed before Cana spoke again.

"So other than that, how was the date?"

Her tone was teasing, but she honestly really wanted to know.

Lucy's eyes widened. "I-It was a _real_ date?!"

"Yeah," Cana replied. "Well, it was to me."

Giggling, Lucy released a sigh of relief. "It was really fun."

"I'm glad," Cana said.

The room had become silent again, and Cana took the opportunity to take a bar of soap placed on the edge of the tub. She began scrubbing herself with it, cleaning her wounds and washing the rest of her body. Lucy had most likely taken a bath the night before, because she wasn't doing anything but staring intently at Cana. She saw the blonde reach for the shampoo before squirting some onto her hand.

Lucy leaned forward. "You have some dry blood in your hair."

Her hands ran through her wavy, dark hair. Once the dry blood was gone, Lucy took the leftover shampoo and spread it throughout the rest of Cana's hair. Cana stared at her, expressionless. Her eyes had softened and she found herself occasionally staring towards Lucy's lips. When Lucy pulled away from her hair, Cana leaned in and kissed her.

She didn't pull away. After staying frozen for a few seconds, Lucy relaxed against the kiss. It was a regular kiss, but it felt like so much more. Neither of them tried moving their mouths and decided to stay like that, keeping their lips locked for various seconds.

Cana was the first to pull away. And once she did, she felt heat rising to her cheeks. Did she really just _kiss_ Lucy? What the hell was going to happen now? Would Lucy hate her now? Would she want to stop being her friend? Her head spiraled with several assumptions before she decided to leave. Cana stood from the tub, not caring that her naked body was fully exposed to Lucy, and stepped out. She grabbed the clothes she had been wearing before, including Lucy's tee shirt. There was a towel in the bathroom, so Cana wrapped herself around it and exited the bathroom. Cana could hear Lucy calling out for her, insisting that she needed to stay there and rest. She wasn't even acknowledging the kiss, she was just concerned for her injuries.

It was painful to get out of the bath and walk on her own, but she didn't want to wait and see what would happen with Lucy. It could end bad, and Cana wasn't ready to lose her friendship with her.

She left the apartment in nothing but a towel, roaming the streets. It was nighttime now, and Cana was relieved to find them empty. When she reached a mostly vacant building, she went on the stairwell and quickly changed into her clothes. It hurt, but she couldn't risk being seen by someone. After she finished putting her clothes on, Cana ran back outside and continued running down the streets. Jolts of pain ran through her with every step she took. She felt tears running down her cheeks; not just from the pain, but from the possible events that could unfold the next day.

Cana continued racing off into the night before finally reaching her apartment, where she cried and waited for the next day to begin. She had a bad feeling that Lucy didn't like her, or that she was disgusted by her after what happened. The possibilities were endless.

And she was terrified that she would lose her.

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 **A/N:** Okay I didn't really expect it to end that way… But! I'm sure it'll work out for them. Hopefully. Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!

Thank you to **thatcoolguy17** for reviewing! And no, it's not weird that you ship it. Lucana, to me, is a really cute ship and gives me some sort of "representation" in Fairy Tail. The last chapter probably wasn't sexual enough to be rated M, too, but I just wanted to make it that just in case. It also means a lot that you review regularly! Thank you lots!

I also deleted my tumblr… So, if anyone wanted to post this under the "lucana" and "lucy x cana" tag for me, that would be really nice of you! I should really go to sleep, lol. Until next time!


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